"Of course! I wished to propose this; thou hast taken the words from my lips. There is no work for thee here, and I shall be glad from my soul to have thee under my roof tree. Be of good cheer, O my Yatsus. The world does not end in Belchantska, but stands open widely before thee. God alone knows how far thou wilt ride when once thou art on horseback. War is awaiting thee! Glory is awaiting thee! and that which pains thee to-day will be healed at another time. I see now how the wings are growing out at thy shoulders. Fly then, O bird of the Lord, for to that wert thou predestined and created." And joy like a sunray lighted up the honest face of the old man. He struck his thigh with his palm, soldier fashion. "Now take thy cap and we will go." But small things stand often in the way of important ones, and the comic is mixed with the tragic. Yatsek glanced round the room; then he gazed with concern at the priest, and repeated,-- "My cap!" "Well! Thou wilt not go bareheaded--" "How could I?" "Where is it?" "But suppose it remained at Belchantska?" "There are thy love tricks, old woman! What wilt thou do?" "What shall I do? I might get a cap from my man, but I could not go in the cap of a peasant." "Thou canst not go in a peasant's cap, but send thy man to Belchantska." "I would not for anything." The priest was becoming impatient. "Plague take it! War, glory, the wide world--these are all waiting for the man, but his cap is gone!" "There is an old hat in the bottom of a trunk which my father took from a Swedish officer at Tremeshno--" "Take it, and let us go." Yatsek vanished and returned a little later wearing the yellow hat of a Swedish horseman, which was too large for him. Amused by the sight of it, the priest caught at his left side as if seeking his sabre. "It is well," said he, "that it is not a Turkish turban. But this is a real carnival!" Yatsek smiled in reply, and then added,-- "There are some stones in the buckle; they may be of value." Then they took seats in the sleigh and moved forward. Immediately beyond the enclosure Belchantska and the mansion were as visible through leafless alders as something on one's hand. The priest looked carefully at Yatsek, who merely drew the big Swedish hat over his eyes and did not look, though something besides his Hungarian cap had been left in the mansion. CHAPTER V "He will not come back! All is lost!" exclaimed Panna Anulka to herself at the first moment.